







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| It only takes 15 or 20 minutes. | |
| Do you feel a bit better now? | |
| Where are you? | |
| Do you have a cigarette? | |
| Except mosquitoes because they ruin my sleep. | |
| With gas stoves, someone can leave the gas on, it's too dangerous! | |
| There is a robot in a kid's body, but he doesn't know he's a robot. | |
| Don't you think it's too far away from the tube station? | |
| Ta-ta here it is... | |
| Kisses to you, too, I'll call you when I get there! | |
| Why do you think it's weird? | |
| Yeah, it's not common, but that's what it says in the recipe. | |
| The meeting is not the actual problem! | |
| Thank you very much! | |
| It seems Pogo wants to go into the garden. | |
| Yeah, it is very important for me, actually. | |
| I guess my only choice is coming to your house! | |
| Where is your school, is it in central London? | |
| I think the price is very cheap. | |
| I see, I love cooking! | |